To Tell the Truth
by SMK KMS
Summary: This is the sequel to Confession is Good for the Soul and will make little sense if you haven't read that story. Lee and Amanda have admitted their love, now it's time to tell everyone else.


Disclaimers: The characters in this story are copyrighted by Warner Brothers and Shoot The Moon Productions. I make no money from these characters; I simply like to share their world for a short time.

A/N This is a sequel to CONFESSION IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL. If you haven't read that particular story, this one will make little sense to you. While both these stories are definitely out of canon, I don't know if I can truly say that they're AU. Just trying to find a way to sabotage the stupid mystery marriage, right Lanie?

Hope you enjoy! (Constructive reviews are always welcome.) A special thanks to Bruce Boxleitner and Kate Jackson—as well as the rest of the cast—for portraying these characters so wonderfully.

As the champagne cork popped, Lee shook his head in disbelief. If anyone had told him a mere five days ago that he would be here alone in a secluded cabin with Amanda King, he would have called them a damn liar. Well . . . they had been in similar situations, but they had all involved being tied up and held captive by the bad guys. There were definitely no bad guys involved this time, and they were both here of their own free will. As for being tied up . . . Lee refused to let his mind go there—not yet anyway.

Lee smiled as he poured the champagne into two old jelly jars; apparently the usual inhabitants of the cabin hadn't thought champagne flutes were a necessity in a fishing cabin.

"I can't believe you actually brought champagne," teased Amanda.

He handed her one of the glasses. "I was hoping you weren't still angry with me about our argument. After all, I did have to do quite a bit of groveling to find out where you had disappeared to. Besides, you did say that you loved me in your letter. As I love you, too, I just thought the champagne might be a nice way to celebrate. If not, I was going to use it to drown my sorrows . . . although I think it would have taken much more than one bottle of this stuff to take away my pain."

"Well, don't worry," she whispered. "No sorrows here . . . except maybe for the length of time it took both of us to admit our feelings."

"Hey, I was the slow one; you've known for a long time."

"Yes, but I just finally got up the nerve to act on it. That's as bad as you, you know."

"Not exactly," he said as Amanda shot him a questioning look at his choice of words. "You at least admitted it to yourself a long time ago. I, on the other hand, am an emotional moron; it took your walking out on me last Friday to face my own feelings."

"It doesn't matter, Lee," she said as she stepped closer to him. "We're at the same spot now. To our future!" She raised her glass.

"To our future," Lee echoed as their glasses touched.

After a few sips, the bubbly was quickly forgotten as their eyes locked. By mutual consent, they set their glasses on the counter and found themselves in each other's arms sharing a very passionate kiss.

Coming up for much-needed air, Lee gently guided Amanda toward the well-worn couch and pulled her down into his lap.

"Much better," he sighed before resuming his assault on her lips.

When they finally came up for air, the interior of the cabin was bathed in moonlight.

"Why don't you start a fire, Lee. It gets a little chilly in here overnight."

"Oh, I think it will be plenty warm in here this evening," he said with a smirk. "But your wish is my command."

As Lee placed the wood in the stone fireplace, Amanda headed to the kitchen area. "Are you hungry?" she asked. "We really didn't have much dinner, did we? When I packed my sandwich, I wasn't planning on sharing." Lee couldn't help but notice her grin.

"I don't seem to remember any complaints when I found you."

"None whatsoever! I just wasn't expecting you."

Lee grabbed his chest and started to stagger as if he were shot. "You had no faith in me?" he questioned. "I'm wounded!"

"It's not that, Sweetheart. I just didn't think I'd see you quite so soon. You really must have been worried about me . . . just when did you confess to Mr. Melrose? It must have been early this morning."

"Actually, it was last night."

Her eyebrows shot up at that revelation. He really had been worried.

"If I thought your mother wouldn't have called the cops on me, I would have shown up on her doorstop late last night. But with the boys home, I figured it would be smarter to wait until they headed off to school this morning. Don't worry . . . I was there at precisely 9 a.m. with a rather large bouquet of flowers. I figured if the famous Stetson smile didn't work, maybe the flowers might."

"But you knew exactly what you had to do; I gave you specific instructions in the letter."

"I know, but I've also seen Dotty in action—albeit from a distance. She can be one tough cookie!"

"Seems like you survived unscathed."

"Yeah . . . something I don't think we will be able to do when we return. Why did you promise her she could interrogate us, hmmm? It's going to be worse than facing the KGB."

"It just might be! But the longer we put it off, the rougher it will be. Plus, now that we've admitted our feelings to each other, we need to admit them to Mother and the boys."

"Speaking of admitting feelings . . . Did you tell your mother that you love me?"

Amanda felt his eyes on her as she started to blush.

"Hey, I was supposed to admit that I was falling in love with you. Which, by the way, I didn't exactly do."

"What! Wait till I talk to my mother . . . "

"Now hold on there. No, I didn't admit that I was falling in love with you. I admitted to so much more than that; I admitted that I was already in love with you," he said quietly as he took her in his arms and kissed her softly on the lips, the fire and snacks quickly forgotten.

"You did? That might just make her go a little bit easier on us."

Lee gave her a puzzled look.

"See, I _did_ tell her that I was in love with you. Since she knows the feelings are mutual, she might leave us both off the hook—just a little."

"As long as I don't break your heart, that is," added Lee. Amanda just gave him a puzzled look. "Oh, she asked me point blank about my intentions—even told me not to break your heart. She didn't outright threaten me, but I do think she could make my life miserable if you gave her the word." He chuckled.

Amanda just shook her head. Sometimes her mother totally surprised her.

"So, just what are your intentions? And what did you tell my mother."

"If you agree, I thought dinner and dancing on Friday evening would make a nice start—although I think we've gotten off to a good start here." He kissed the tip of her nose. "We'll follow that with the party at the British Embassy on Sunday evening. I know it's work," he hurriedly added, "but it's a cake assignment. I can even pick you up at the front door this time."

"I don't know, Lee. That's two nights away from the boys in one weekend. I don't know what Mother's plans are, and if I can't find a sitter . . . "

"See, you're missing the beauty of your mother's knowing about us! When I asked her about both possibilities—you know, which one she thought you would like best—she said that we should do both. She even insisted on babysitting both nights. What can I say . . . the Stetson charm worked."

"I don't know, Sweetheart. It might not be so much Stetson charm. It might be more of the fact that she would like to see me in a solid relationship again."

"You mean she would like to see you married?"

"Hey, you said it, I didn't. I know I said we should talk about our future, but I'm not ready for the "M" word. I've been down that road, remember? And it didn't work out so well."

He put a finger under her chin and lifted it till their eyes met. "I'm not Joe. But I'm not ready for the "M" word either . . . not yet, anyway." He smiled. "As I said to your mother, I'm going to take it slow. I'm not exactly the poster boy for stable relationships, either. But I do love you, Amanda King, and I think we owe it to ourselves to see where all this is headed."

"Agreed. But right now I'm afraid it's headed for bed." Lee's shock was evident on his face.

"No, Lee, I'm not ready for that yet, either," she said as she shot him an apologetic look. "I just mean that we've both had a few tiring, emotional days here. Plus, I'm kind of looking forward to dragging you out of bed early tomorrow to see the sunrise. There's a great lookout spot another mile farther on the trail. I figure if we get up around 4:30 a.m. we should be at the spot at just about the right time. I'll pack us a little breakfast and a thermos of coffee. What do you say?"

"I say it sounds like a fantastic idea . . . if only the sun didn't come up till 10 a.m." That comment earned him a punch in the arm.

"No, it truly does sound wonderful. We can head back to DC after we get back to the cabin."

"What, and forfeit our time together? I thought you said Billy gave you off until the party Sunday evening?"

"What about your mother? Won't she worry?"

"No, she won't! She knows where I am and that I'm safe. And if she gave you the map, she trusts you." He couldn't help but leer at her. "Well, relatively safe," she amended. "I'm thinking we need to take tomorrow for ourselves. Then we can head to DC on Thursday. We can talk to my mother in the afternoon and the boys in the evening. Maybe even go talk to Mr. Melrose on Friday? But let's not get tied up at work—figuratively or literally. I have a hot date to get ready for Friday night."

"Your wish is my command," he replied, then dipped his head for a passionate kiss.

After a little more snuggling on the couch, they headed for separate sides of the room. Amanda had already claimed the bottom bunk closest to the kitchen and bath, so Lee headed in the opposite direction to choose a bunk along the other wall.

As they lay staring up at the ceiling from their respective beds, they couldn't help but think about how much their lives had changed in the past twenty-four hours—and how much they were going to change in the upcoming days. But they had agreed to not rush anything. Lee respected Amanda's wishes; he was not going to do anything to mess this up. He finally saw a future for himself, and it was in Amanda's arms.

"Good night, Lee; I love you."

"And I love you, too. Sleep tight."

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Lee was reluctant to get out of bed for the pre-dawn hike the next morning, but with Amanda's persuasion and several cups of coffee, he had to agree that the view was simply spectacular. The sunrise wasn't bad, either. That comment had earned him a playful swat on the chest!

They hiked, picnicked, and even played a little gin rummy. Throughout the day, however, they never left each other's side.

They also talked . . . a lot! And held each other . . . a lot! And kissed . . . a lot!

They decided that telling the truth was the only route to go with Dotty. That meant filling her in on the Agency as well as their relationship. Phillip and Jaime were too young to know about the Agency, so for the boys it would just be an introduction to Lee as Amanda's boyfriend. They both knew it would take the boys a while to get used to Lee, and vice versa.

Billy? Well . . . Billy would be a challenge, but another one that they would face together. Just like they planned on facing everything the future held.

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Thursday morning found them headed to DC in the 'Vette. The rental had been dropped off in the first town possible; Lee had gladly paid the added one-way charge to have his Amanda by his side for the lengthy trip back to the city.

As they pulled up to the curb at 4247 Maplewood in the early afternoon, they both let out a collective sigh.

Lee quickly placed his hand over Amanda's and began rubbing his thumb across it in an effort to calm her—and himself.

"You know it's going to be just fine," she reminded him. "While Mother might have tons of questions, I know she's going to support us now that she knows that we're in love."

"I know . . . but this is all new territory for me. While I may have dated my share . . . okay, more than my share . . . of women, this is the first time I'm meeting a parent. All I keep thinking about is the wild stories I've heard about how judgmental parents can be and what nightmares they can cause."

"You've faced much worse, I guarantee you, Sweetheart. The Stetson charm worked on her the other day, right? You'll do fine. Besides, I'll be there—right by your side. Remember, we're facing everything together."

"Together, right." He gave her a kiss, then quickly made his way out of the car and around the other side to help her out.

Hand in hand they headed up the front walk and through the door. "Mother, we're home," Amanda called as they entered the foyer.

"In the kitchen, Darling. I was just getting an early start on dinner." Dotty's words gave no indication that today was any different than any other day. Both Lee and Amanda were stunned.

"Did you enjoy your stay at the cabin?" she asked as Lee and Amanda entered the kitchen.

"Very much," Amanda responded as she gave her mother a quick kiss on the cheek. "Mother, this is Lee Stetson . . . my partner at IFF and, as of a few days ago, officially my boyfriend."

"Yes dear, I know. We've met before, remember?!" Lee was stunned as Dotty walked over to him and reached up to give him a peck on the cheek. Taking his hand, she led him over to the breakfast nook, indicating that they should all have a seat.

"Mother, are you sure you're feeling okay? This was quite a bit to spring on you so suddenly, especially in a note. Then to have to meet Lee, out of the blue, and have him admit his feelings to you . . . You're too calm; you're hiding something."

"Not at all, Dear. I've known there was someone at work for some time now. Amanda, you really don't expect me to believe that you're been working in the editing room all those evenings, do you? If anyone's been hiding something, it's you two."

"She's right you know, Amanda. We have been hiding a lot from her. She's just a little off base at _what_ we've been hiding."

Seeing their cue, they slowly began to tell Dotty about their real jobs—and exactly how they met.

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"So you're telling me that all those evenings you actually were working?"

"Yes, just not in the editing room. We were usually doing surveillance work, meeting with contacts, going through files, etc.," Lee attempted to reassure her.

"And when you said that you were tied up at the office?"

"Well . . . Mother . . . then we probably were tied up—literally. I tried to tell you as much of the truth as I could. It's been a rough three years. I hated lying to you, but I didn't want you to worry."

"I want you to know, Mrs. West, that Amanda is the best operative I've ever worked with. Her instincts are spot on. She's pulled my sorry ass out of more tight spots than I care to count." Amanda blushed at the compliment.

"We take every precaution, Mother. And Lee's the best. He's taught me everything I know. He's also extremely protective . . . sometimes too protective. In fact, that's what started this whole sequence of events. We were on a routine mission last Friday that went badly. He told me to wait in the car, as usual. When I didn't . . . "

"A-man-da," Lee drew out her name. "Do you realize you could have been injured? There was no need for you to come rushing over to me; I was fine."

"You most certainly were not, Lee Stetson, and you have a graze wound on your arm to show for it."

"Oh, and did it ever occur to you, Amanda King, that you could have been injured too? You just ran right into the middle of a shootout!"

"For your information, Scarecrow, the bad guys were already running away before I got out of the car."

"That doesn't mean you couldn't have been injured, you know . . . "

Dotty's voice rose above the argument . . . "Hey there-do you think we could call a truce for just a minute?"

Lee and Amanda both looked at her-startled.

Hanging their heads, they mumbled "Sorry."

"Well, I can see why you two are so much in love."

They both just continued to stare.

"You can't see it, can you?" She shook her head and smiled. "You're so much alike . . . both stubborn to a fault . . . both loyal to the end . . . both extremely defensive . . . both worried too much about the other. While you might argue like cats and dogs, that's the passion from which love is born. And it's written all over your faces—even when you're arguing. And I can see it in your eyes. The eyes always tell the story, you know."

"Oh, Mother, you always could read me like a book. And even though you've just met Lee, you certainly have him pegged, too."

"Of course; I'm a mother!"

All three let out a giggle.

Lee and Amanda reached for each other's hands and spoke a soft "I'm sorry" to each other before they kissed.

"Now that we've settled that, just what are you going to tell the boys?" asked Dotty. "I really don't think they're old enough to handle all the 'spy' information, do you?"

"Mrs. West . . . " Lee started.

"Dotty, please . . . "

"Dotty . . . Amanda and I decided that it would be best if we simply introduced me to the boys as Amanda's partner at IFF . . . and her new boyfriend. We know it's going to take some time for them to get used to me. I, on the other hand, feel like I've known them for years."

"Maybe that's because you've been watching them through the window for the past two and a half years," Amanda said with a knowing look. "But watching them and interacting with them are two different things, Sweetheart."

"You've been coming around that long?" questioned Dotty. "But . . . "

"Yes, I have," admitted Lee. "And that's part of the reason your daughter here pulled the disappearing act on Friday. She had finally had enough of my dodging my feelings. And thank goodness she did! We've both been denying our feelings for way, way too long. I also think you need to know that I'm the reason your flowers won't grow under the kitchen window—since we're confessing things."

"I had a funny feeling it wasn't the Ferguson's dog; I know for a fact that dog doesn't wear size 12 shoes," Dotty chuckled.

"Guilty as charged. While I do regret the trampled flowers, I don't regret a minute I spent peeking into this lovely and loving household." His smile told the entire story of how much he cared for everyone that lived at 4247 Maplewood.

"Mother, do you have any other questions?"

"Not at the moment, but I'm sure I'll think of some as time goes on."

"Well, don't hesitate to just ask," added Lee. "While we can't give you details about our work, we will try to be as honest as we can."

Their timing couldn't have been more perfect, as Phillip and Jaime chose that exact moment to come running in from school, backpacks in hand.

"Fellas, why don't you put your backpacks in the den and go wash up. You can have your snack back in here with us, okay?" Amanda said as she corralled the boys before they could ask too many questions about the man seated at the kitchen table.

"Can we have some of the cookies Grandma baked yesterday?" Jaime exclaimed as he threw his backpack down and rushed up the stairs. Phillip followed right behind, and the race to see who made it to the sink first was on.

"I'll get some milk for the boys and cookies for all of us. Lee, would you like some more coffee?" Dotty asked as she rose to get the treats.

"That would be great, Dotty, but I'm more than capable of getting my own refill, thanks. How about I refill all the coffee cups, hmmm?"

By the time the beverages and treats were laid out on the table, the boys had returned to the kitchen.

"Hey, how about a big hug for your mother. After all, I've been away for almost a week. Did you miss me?" Amanda asked as she grabbed them both in a big bear hug.

"Mom, do you have to do that? We have company," grumbled Phillip.

"Yes, I have to. You know it's my job to embarrass you as often as I can; that's what mothers do," she acknowledged with a grin.

"Boys, why don't you have a seat with your grandma." She indicated the empty bench next to Dotty as she slid in next to Lee.

"Mom, is this a family meeting?" Jaime mumbled around a mouth full of cookies.

"Kind of . . . I think your mom has a few things to tell you," Dotty said as she gestured toward Amanda and Lee.

At this point, Lee began to get a little nervous. He realized that he had no clue what the boys had been told about Amanda's absence for the past several days. Or what they had been told about him. If only he could just walk out the door and drive away in the 'Vette . . . or at least get up and pace . . . but he knew he had to stay seated. He knew he had to trust Amanda on this one if they were going to have a future together.

"Boys, I would like you to meet Lee Stetson. He's my partner at IFF. Lee, these are my two boys, Phillip and Jaime."

Both boys acknowledged Lee with smiles, which were returned by Lee—albeit a little nervously.

"I'm sorry I had to be away for so long, but IFF was having some difficulties with a project that's currently being shot in the hills of western Virginia. There was a huge argument at work about some of the assignments, and I went on location to resolve the issues. I wasn't getting anywhere, so Lee was tasked with getting to the bottom of it. Once he found the solution, he joined me on location. Everything finally wrapped up late last evening, so we headed home today."

She _was_ good, Lee acknowledged with a grin. Argument at work, check! Amanda going away to resolve the issues, check! His getting to the bottom of it, check! There was so much truth in her statement that you could almost convince yourself that you weren't lying . . . well, at least not much. He reached for her hand under the table, trying to convey his thanks for the convincing story and hopefully conveying his love.

"So you're our mom's partner at work?" questioned Jaime.

"I thought you were her boss," added Phillip.

Both boys looked at Lee expectantly.

Here goes, he thought. "We're partners, although I'm the more senior partner as I've been there longer. So technically, I'm also her boss . . . although we both have another person we report to directly. By the way, your mom here is the best partner I've ever worked with; she really has terrific instincts about the work we do." He shot her one of his famous Stetson smiles.

"Thanks for the compliment, Lee," she said with a brilliant smile of her own. "We do work well together, don't we!"

The boys took one look at Lee and Amanda, then turned their heads to look at each other in silent communication. With a nod from Jaime, Phillip took the lead.

"So, are you dating our mother?" he inquired.

Amanda just looked at him. She wasn't going to offer any help; he was on his own with this one—just another test of his love for her.

"Well, boys, I would certainly like to. That's kind of what this 'meeting' is all about. See, your mother and I have realized that we care a lot for each other . . . and have for quite some time. But before I can begin to date her, I thought it might be a good idea to get your approval." With a nod of his head, he indicated Phillip, Jaime, AND Dotty.

"You have my approval," laughed Dotty. "We've been talking for over an hour now, so I think I would have discovered if you were some kind of spy or something." She winked at Lee.

"Is that your cool 'Vette parked out front?" inquired Phillip. Lee simply nodded his head. "If I can have a ride, then I guess it's okay for you to date Mom."

"You drive a hard bargain, but yes, you can have a ride—maybe on Saturday?"

"Cool!"

"What is it, Jaime?" Amanda questioned. Jaime had been quiet for quite some time.

"Well, Phillip's all concerned about his getting a ride in a sports car . . . and Mr. Stetson might have Grandma snowed with his charm, but . . . well . . . I'm just concerned that you are going to get hurt again just like when Dad left."

"Jaime, let me try to reassure you," Lee said quietly. "See . . . that argument at work that your mother mentioned . . . I was the cause of that argument; it was entirely my fault. And I did hurt your mother. But I solemnly promise that I will never intentionally hurt her again. In fact, you have my permission to call me out if you ever think I've done anything to hurt her. And Amanda," he turned to look her in the eye, "I want you to tell the boys if you've been hurt. I know they'll be a lot rougher on me than you were."

"Boys, I want you to know that Lee has apologized to me for what he did as well as for the argument that followed. In fact, he's done a great deal of apologizing over the past few days. I'm sure he's learned his lesson, haven't you?" she questioned as she looked at him.

"Yes, I have," he returned with a smile. "Never again will tell you to wait in the trailer; your skills are too valuable on set." He gave her a quick wink.

"Then I guess it's okay if you want to date Mom," Jaime conceded.

"Just for the record," added Lee, "I'd also like to get to know all of you a little better." Again he included Dotty in his gaze.

"What do you think, fellas? Mother? I think he's a keeper, but . . . "

"He's certainly a lot better than Dean," Phillip added. "I mean he drove a Volvo—there's just no comparison."

"Yeah, and he never wanted to get to know us. He was only interested in Mom," Jaime piped up.

"How about we start this whole thing off right with Mr. Stetson staying for dinner? What do you think, boys?" Dotty suggested as she headed for the stove to continue her preparations for the evening meal.

"Fine with us," replied Jaime.

"When is dinner?" Phillip asked. "I'm starved!"

"But you just had a snack!" Amanda couldn't help but smile; they were definitely growing boys. "Head on in to the den and get started on your homework so Lee and I can help your grandmother with dinner. After all, we wouldn't want you two to starve to death," she said with a grin.

As the boys headed to the other room, Lee leaned down to give Amanda a tender kiss. "So far, so good," he sighed.

"Just wait . . . I'm sure they'll have plenty of other questions once they've had some time to digest everything. So will Mother, I'm certain. But things did go better than I had expected. I just hope Mr. Melrose is as understanding."

"He will be . . . if he knows what's good for him and the agency," Lee assured her.

"Come on," Amanda grabbed his hand and pulled him up from the table. "Let's go show off some of your culinary skills; Mother always says she's a sucker for a man in an apron," she smiled. "Mr. Melrose can wait till morning."

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Amanda knocked on the door to Lee's apartment early on Friday. After a wonderful dinner with the family the previous night, they had sat down to plan a strategy for dealing with Billy. By carpooling to Georgetown, they would have a little more time to refine their plan.

Lee opened the door and quickly pulled Amanda inside. Startled, she let out a small gasp.

"Lee, what are you doing? You're scaring me!"

"Just making sure you're wide awake for this," he said as he gave her an incredible good morning kiss.

"Wow, I'm definitely awake after that," she exclaimed. "Glad we're here instead of at the office. I don't think that display would win us any points with Mr. Melrose. It definitely wouldn't help our cause with Francine."

"Francine will just have to get used to it . . . to us. I was giving it some thought last night, since I just couldn't seem to get to sleep," he smiled down at her, his dimples showing. "Anyway, I think we should also fill Francine in . . . "

"Now wait just a minute, Stetson. Do you really think she's going to take kindly to all of this? She already has it out for me. Our dating will only make things worse."

"No, that's where you're wrong. I think if we let her in on our relationship, it will only make things better. See, this way, she'll feel like she's special enough to be included in the secret. If we don't include her, she'll just start the rumor mill gossiping about us. An informed Francine is much, much better than a Francine whose imagination has run wild."

"But don't you think she'll just try to break us up?"

"Oh . . . she might. But I have news for her. It's going to take more than a disgruntled Francine Desmond to tear me away from you. I love you, Amanda King, and that's not going to change—no matter what anyone says!" He punctuated that last statement with another kiss.

"You're the boss . . . at least when we're dealing with Francine. After all, you've known her a lot longer. If you think we should tell her, then we'll tell her. Actually, I'm kind of anxious to see her reaction."

"So am I . . . so am I," Lee said as he shook his head. "It certainly is going to be an interesting morning. Shall we?" He held the door open for her, then proceeded to double-check the lock.

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Billy spied his two best agents entering the bullpen a half hour later. As they were both off the duty roster, he had a funny feeling they were here to see him. Since they were together, he could only assume the news would be good.

"Stetson, King . . . my office, now," he bellowed. Anyone that took the time to look, however, saw a grin on his face despite his harsh tone.

Billy immediately began closing the blinds; Lee promptly closed the door behind them.

All three took their customary seats, with one difference . . . Lee immediately reached for Amanda's hand and held it across the short distance between the two chairs.

Nodding at their hands, Billy chuckled. "Well, it appears our Scarecrow found his elusive partner. And from the looks of it, everything went well. Care to enlighten me?"

"I was a fool, Billy . . . but then you already know that, I'm sure. I risked losing the best thing that's ever happened to me by being a stubborn jackass. Well, no more. While I'm not ready for the entire Agency to know our personal life, we both felt we owed you an explanation."

"Yes, Sir . . . Sir, I want to thank you for handling everything for me on Monday. I'm sorry I put you in that position, but I just didn't know who else to turn to."

"It was my pleasure, Amanda. And when I say pleasure, I truly mean it. Your partner there was too choked up to realize it, but I could barely hold back my laughter. Not that any of this was funny," Billy quickly seriously added. "But seeing Lee Stetson squirm certainly made my day."

"Ah, Billy . . . I didn't squirm."

That comment earned him a stern look from both his boss and his partner.

"Okay, maybe I squirmed a little," he conceded with a grin. "But I will never regret an instant. I do regret the way I treated my partner AND the fact that it took me so long to admit my feelings."

"And I regret taking such drastic measures. Wait a second . . . no I don't," Amanda said confidently. "It was about time both of us owned up to our feelings. Our only concern now is how our personal relationship will affect our partnership here at the Agency."

"I'm concerned, too," added Lee. "We both feel, however, that the Agency would be crazy to split us up. You've said yourself that we're your best team."

"Calm down," advised Billy. "At this point, I can't see any reason to assign you new partners." Lee and Amanda both let out a sigh of relief.

"But . . . should your personal relationship affect your work in any way, I will have to reconsider that statement. Understand?"

"Yes, Sir," they said together.

"Mr. Melrose, there's one more thing. We would like to keep this kind of quiet for now, if you don't mind," Amanda added.

"With my reputation, we're afraid the agents out there would have a field day with the news that we're dating." Lee suddenly found his shoes extremely interesting. "We're also concerned about Dr. Smyth. You know we're not at the top of his list—even on a good day."

"Listen, you let me worry about Dr. Smyth. As for the rest of the Agency, my lips are sealed. After all, I am the Section Chief of a top secret agency; I think I'm capable of keeping a secret or two. I do think, however, that you need to worry about . . . "

"Francine," all three said at once.

"You know she can sniff out a secret a mile away. And if the rumor mill were to elect a queen, she would win the election in a landslide," confided Billy.

"Sir, Lee and I were just discussing this on the way in this morning. We think it would be best to fill Francine in on everything—including the fact that we want to keep this a secret."

"Yeah . . . having her on our side seems like a much better idea than having her speculating. Plus she'll feel included, important, superior to everyone else—not that she doesn't feel that way already," Lee said with a chuckle. While she was one of his best friends, he knew her too well!

"Okay . . . agreed. Just how do you want to handle this?" questioned Billy.

"Well, Sir, here's what we were thinking . . . "

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"Desmond, my office, NOW!" Billy shouted as he poked his head through his partially open office door.

As Francine entered the office and closed the door, she became aware of the tension in the room. Lee and Amanda were glaring at each other, and Billy was popping a handful of antacids.

"Good . . . Francine . . . perhaps you can talk some sense into my partner's thick head," said Amanda through clenched teeth.

"Oh, now I'm the one with the thick head. I seem to remember, Mrs. King, that you're the one that can't seem to understand four little words. Does 'stay in the car' have any meaning to you?" Lee shot back.

Francine just looked from one to the other. Had she been mistaken on Saturday when Lee was concerned? Perhaps he wasn't worried about his little housewife from Arlington after all.

"They've been at it like this for the past ten minutes," Billy told her. "I can't seem to get a word in edgewise."

"And what makes you think I'll be able to help?" she questioned.

"I don't know . . . fresh blood? a new prospective? someone for me to commiserate with?" Billy shrugged his shoulders.

"You seem to think that you know procedures better than I do. May I remind you who the senior agent is around here," Lee continued.

"No need to remind me . . . you rub it in my face every day. May I remind **you** that I've been with this agency for close to three years now. While I might not have your experience, I think my instincts more than make up for official training," Amanda shot back. She knew Lee admired her instincts; she wondered just what his comeback would be.

"Instincts . . . instincts . . . you want to talk about instincts? Where were your instincts when you ran into that gunfight last Friday. Your **lack** of instincts almost got you killed."

"And **your** lack of experience was what landed us in the situation in the first place. Or maybe I should call it failure to follow the rules? Where did you tell your backup to stay? . . . in the car . . . where I couldn't do anything."

"You could have called for help, like I told you to do."

As their voices became louder and louder, Francine let out an ear-piercing whistle.

"Just hold it, you two. You know, Billy's too polite to say this, but I'm going to lay it on the line. Lee, you need to start respecting Amanda's abilities. Staying in the car is way beneath her ability level, and you know it."

"Yeah," crowed Amanda with a smug look in Lee's direction.

"And you, Amanda, need to learn to be more careful. You know sometimes the senior partner does know a thing or two that you don't—even if he doesn't always follow the rules."

Lee returned her smug look with one of his own.

"And you both need to calm down and realize what great partners you are," Francine added.

She had fallen right into their trap.

"Did you just pay them both a compliment?" Billy was having difficulty hiding his grin.

"I guess I did," said Francine as realization dawned on her. "Don't let it go to your heads," she quickly reminded them with nod.

"Well, I don't know if I can take this anymore. I think it's high time for a change."

"That goes for me, too. I just can't keep working like this with him."

"So what are you two suggesting?" questioned Billy. He wasn't going to be able to hold the laughter in much longer.

"I don't know about Mrs. King, but I'm suggesting a distinct change in our relationship."

"I agree," Amanda said as she took a few steps toward Lee.

Lee responded in kind until they were bare inches apart—Lee glaring down at Amanda; she looking up at him intensely.

In an instant, their lips were locked in an intense, passionate kiss.

Francine's jaw just dropped.

"Close your mouth, Francine. You're catching flies," Billy whispered in her ear.

"But . . . but . . . but . . .," she stuttered as she looked at the unlikely couple, then at Billy.

"It's okay, Francine," assured Amanda.

"Francine, permit me to let you in on a little secret—something that definitely needs to remain a secret! As of three days ago, Amanda and I are officially dating." The grins on both their faces confirmed the fact.

"By the way, congratulations." Billy smiled as he shook Lee's hand and gave Amanda a big hug. "With all the plotting and scheming, I kind of forgot to say that. I knew putting the two of you together was the best idea I've ever had."

"Yeah, but I was the one that picked her out at the train station," Lee reminded him.

"And what if I hadn't taken the package? Don't I deserve some of the credit, too?"

"Guess I'm the only one that didn't see it from the beginning," quipped Francine. "And I still don't see it . . . playboy spy with four black books dating a divorced mother of two from Arlington." She just shook her head.

"But I can tell from the look in both your eyes that this just might work." As Lee and Amanda smiled at her, she quickly clarified. "Remember, I said **might** work. Do you two have any idea what you're up against?"

"Well, we already have the support of Amanda's mother and the boys—plus Billy here. We were hoping we could count on yours, too," pleaded Lee. "That means keeping this a secret from the rest of the Agency . . . at least for now."

"My lips are sealed." Francine mimed zippering her lips and throwing away the key. "And you do have my support, too . . . scouts honor," she added as she nodded her head. "Although I'm still having trouble believing it!"

"Well, believe it," emphasized Billy. "The crack team of Scarecrow and Mrs. King has just gotten even better . . . and I couldn't be happier for both of you. Now back to work, Francine. And back to being off the duty roster, you two. See you at the embassy party on Sunday."

As the three exited the office, all heads in the bullpen turned toward them. Francine headed to her desk while Lee and Amanda made their way to the exit . . . Lee's hand at his partner's back, as always. Billy just watched all his agents from his office door. While he would, indeed, keep Lee and Amanda's secret, he wasn't sure they were actually fooling too many people. After all, everyone here was trained to pay attention to the details. Maybe he should have a talk with them? But that could wait till Monday morning. In the meantime, he had work to do.

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Lee rang the doorbell at exactly 6 p.m. that night dressed in his best suit and tie, a dozen red roses in his arm. Phillip opened the door a few seconds later and immediately turned to yell for his mother.

The words never left his mouth, however, as Amanda appeared right behind him. She looked absolutely stunning in an emerald green cocktail dress that hugged her curves in exactly the right places.

Lee's words caught in his throat, too, at Amanda's beauty. Since both her men seemed to be at a loss for words, she decided to take the lead.

"Lee . . . come on in. Are those for me?" she asked as she indicated the roses.

"Oh . . . yeah . . . sorry," he mumbled.

"Why don't you come into the kitchen while I put them in some water, Lee. Phillip, would you please let your grandmother know that I'll be leaving in a few minutes."

"No need, Phillip. I thought I heard the doorbell . . . hello, Lee," Dotty said as she came in through the back door with the pruning shears in her hand. "The shrubs are all trimmed, thank goodness. Now I just have to work on that flowerbed underneath the kitchen window." She gave Lee a knowing look.

"I was thinking . . ." said Lee as he looked at Amanda. "Would it be okay if I came by tomorrow morning, say around 10, to give you and Amanda a hand with that? After all, I'm sure you could use the help. Then maybe I could take Phillip for that ride I promised him?"

"All right!" Phillip exclaimed as he smiled from ear to ear.

"And maybe a ride for me, too," added Jaime as he joined everyone in the kitchen. "I'm not really into cars, but even I have to admit your 'Vette is pretty awesome."

"I'd say that sounds like a wonderful plan," Amanda nodded her head as she finished with the roses.

"And I'll make sure we have plenty of burgers and hot dogs on hand for a backyard barbeque for lunch," added Dotty. It was going to be so nice having a man around the house again, she thought to herself.

"Amanda, shall we? We don't want to be late for our reservations," reminded Lee.

"Boys, I want you to be good for your grandmother. No arguing . . . and no pestering to stay up late. I know tomorrow's Saturday, but it's going to be a busy day. Come give me a kiss."

The boys each kissed a cheek, then turned to Lee.

"Take good care of our mom," admonished Jaime.

"And don't stay out too late," reminded Phillip. "I don't want you to be too tired to take us in the 'Vette tomorrow!"

"No worries on either count," Lee responded with a grin. "Dotty, thank you for watching the boys. I won't keep her out too late, I promise."

"No problem, Lee. Have a good time, you two. Now get out of here!" Dotty said as she gently shoved them toward the front door . . . and their future together.

A/N: Anyone want to hear about their weekend? Or should I leave well enough alone?


End file.
